What’s Next for Bailey Jordan ’26

Office of Communications and Public Affairs
July 29, 2026

Bailey Jordan '26
Majors: Business administration and politics double major
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

What are your post-graduation plans?

I am moving back to Charlotte to work at Allspring Global Investments, an asset management firm where I am doing a two-year rotational program in their marketing department. I am excited to be back in my hometown and working at a job that will let me try out several aspects of marketing to figure out what I like best as I pursue a career in marketing.

What are some skills or lessons you will take from your academic experience into the professional world?

My business administration major helped me learn more practical skills to pursue marketing in financial services through several specific classes in these industries. I was asked throughout my interview process why I was also a politics major, and I think that my politics classes really pushed me to learn to think critically and be able to argue my opinions in highly nuanced and challenging ways. I think W&L has also taught me how to balance a demanding course load while also learning to pursue things I am passionate and interested in, and I think that will directly relate to working hard and also speaking up to volunteer for different projects at work that interest me. I also think the soft skills I have gained being involved with Mock Convention, the Career and Professional Development (CPD) Office as a Career Fellow and participating in Greek life at W&L will serve me well in the professional world.

How did your career plans evolve throughout your time at W&L? Did you always know what you wanted to do?

I came into W&L having no idea what I wanted to do. I laugh now because I did not go to the Career Office until the winter of my junior year, and then I worked in the Career Office my senior year, so I was there every day. I was intimidated to not know what I wanted to do as a W&L student, but by taking advantage of every opportunity I could at W&L, I found my way into what I was interested in pursuing for my career. During my summers, I interned with a luxury wedding planner in Charleston, South Carolina, and I worked on Capitol Hill during Washington Term for the Committee on Ways and Means and for Red Ventures, a digital marketing firm, after my junior year. I always knew I wanted to be in something with a creative angle to it, but after trying out politics, I decided I was most interested in the business world. I also spoke with many W&L alumni who helped me learn so much about industries of interest and what a day in the life looks like at so many different roles. This information was pivotal for deciding what I wanted to do post grad.

What was your favorite class? And is there one class that ended up changing your perspective or that really surprised you?

One of my favorite classes I took was a terrorism politics class with Seth Cantey my senior year. It was fascinating to learn about historical patterns and definitions of terrorism, as well as studying modern groups. This class was challenging but so engaging to learn about a difficult topic. A class I took my junior year was called Multimedia Design with Michelle Cowan, and I got to design many different creative projects as we learned Adobe platforms like Photoshop and InDesign, which I loved, because it solidified my interest in pursuing a more creative job.

Which faculty or staff member had the most impact on you, and what did you learn from them (either inside or outside the classroom)?

Teachers that stand out to me for their mentorship and engagement in my time at W&L include Brandi Jane Wedgeworth Graham, Lucas Morel, Brian Alexander and Elisabeth Gilbert. All four of these individuals sacrificed a lot of time and energy into talking with me, writing recommendations, encouraging my job and academic pursuits, and are awesome people to be around. I also had the opportunity to work closely with the CPD office, including Molly Steele, Brooke Peccie and Lauren Vance as a Career Fellow and in a more part-time capacity this winter because I graduated in December and worked for the CPD office all semester. They are all exceptional women that I aspire to be like in many ways and were a great source of friendship and encouragement in my final year at W&L, which I am so thankful for.

What were some key organizations/clubs/activities you were involved in at W&L and how did they shape your W&L experience?

I joined Mock Convention my sophomore year when I was selected to be the North Carolina state chair. This was an incredible opportunity to lead a large and important swing state for the 2024 election, so the responsibility of leading 50 students, researching local political attitudes to help make an accurate prediction and creating an excellent convention weekend complete with a NASCAR parade float was extremely rewarding. As a sophomore, I had the distinct privilege of my older brother joining my delegation along with his entire pledge class, which made for a very funny leadership dynamic. I was also involved with my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, at W&L, serving on leadership and remaining active in the chapter. I was also a Young Life leader in the county, which was an amazing way to volunteer locally with middle schoolers in a faith-centered way. This gave me many meaningful relationships outside of W&L and as part of my church in Lexington, which I will certainly take with me in years to come. Last but not least, I was involved with the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society, where I started my own baking business called Biscuits & Bites with funding from the society when I won first place in the Entrepreneurship Summit pitch competition. This money helped me start my baking business, where I was able to grow it into a meaningful part of my college experience baking custom treats for students, parents and school organizations, and it has kept me quite busy over the past year!

What internships or other summer experiences did you partake in, and how did those experiences shape you and your career plans?

As mentioned, I interned with a luxury wedding planner in Charleston after my freshman year. This was incredible to learn from such a talented female-led company and to see such a creative business application. Next, I worked on Capitol Hill during Washington Term for the Committee on Ways and Means during my sophomore summer. While politics was not my favorite experience, the energy in D.C. was so fun and helped shape my future ambitions. Last summer, I interned with Red Ventures, a digital marketing firm, in Charlotte, North Carolina, as an analyst. This technical role helped prepare me to land the marketing job I now have for post grad. I was able to bake some over my summers and during school years as a different form of internship, and this is my ultimate dream job. I would love to one day start my own bakery and use my favorite parts of marketing to create a really cool concept.

How did the Office of Career and Professional Development support you, and which resources did you find most helpful?

When I finally stumbled into the CPD office my junior year, I was so glad to find someone to bounce all my ideas off with Brooke Peccie. She encouraged my networking and practice interviewed me. It was a discouraging process to land my internship, but I grew so much in my confidence, interview and networking skills and my ability to articulate my story and future goals. Then, once I became a Career Fellow, I further sharpened my professional skills as I was able to help my peers go do the same thing I had just figured out. The past year in the CPD office has shown me how much I enjoy supporting others and leveraging the resources W&L has to offer to help students find their passions.

Did you connect with alumni during your time at W&L? How did they help you on your path?

As a child of two W&L alumni, I have seen firsthand how the W&L network can shape the rest of your life. Once I started pursuing roles in marketing for internships and full-time roles the past two years, I have networked with over 50 alumni who have so graciously talked with me and guided me toward opportunities. I found every single person to have a unique perspective and so much encouragement in finding your calling and excelling where you land. Additionally, the alumni I met through the Entrepreneurship Summit like Byron Burns '98 and Chip Muir '03L have been great mentors and encouragers of my business, which I do not take for granted.

What's been one of your favorite experiences over the last four years?

I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, during the fall of my junior year, which was one of the most incredible things I have done. I got to take creative classes like Fashion Illustration, Luxury Brand Management and Food and Wine Pairing on top of traveling every weekend! I learned so much about myself and my confidence to travel and experience the world with friends. While I was sad to not be in Lexington that semester, it was an experience I will never forget!

What's your proudest accomplishment?

My proudest accomplishment was certainly winning the pitch competition for the Entrepreneurship Summit last winter. My company, Biscuits & Bites, was relatively new at that point, and I was not sure what to expect pitching in front of so many alumni. I got up there and tried to convey my passion and excitement for using my gifts of baking and connecting people through hospitality, and it was so cool to see how many alumni got behind my idea and saw a vision of it far into the future, past Lexington, as a real, full-time role. Not only am I a competitive person who was quite glad to beat my other pitch competitors, I felt so proud that I was building something with my own hands that others saw as worthy of their time, deliberation and prize money.

How has studying the liberal arts at W&L shaped how you see the world?

I would never trade my liberal arts education because the growth I have experienced taking so many classes and trying out so many extracurricular clubs and organizations has been incredible for finding career paths I am excited about and seeing so many different types of students in one tiny school. I never once was in a class with only business majors or one subset of people, and that led to such well-rounded discussions. I do not ever want to be in situations where I don't get the benefits of different people coming from different backgrounds to help shape ideas and push the standard higher because W&L has shown me how great that can be in a liberal arts setting.

What advice would you give to next year's graduating class?

My advice to the graduating class is to take advantage of every opportunity afforded to them, even as the last year for them will go by so quickly. Spending time in the career office, scheduling calls with alumni even when I felt exhausted and doing such fun things like training for half marathons with my best friends in the beautiful scenery of Lexington is something to never take for granted. These four years of life are so fleeting, and you never know what paths you will go down when you go after what is right in front of you. I never would have believed freshman year that I would have a job I am so excited about, a business I love running and can't wait to grow in the future, friends I can't imagine parting ways with after graduation and so many lasting relationships with faculty, staff and people in the community. Growth in college is exponential, not linear, and senior year is the best time to reflect on that and soak it all up.